New group promises to defend churches

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has sent out letters to about 300,000 houses of worship, informing them of the freedom to preach under the First Amendment and promising to defend any of them who are threatened for delivering a good faith religious message.

The Becket Fund issued these letters after reports that ACLU has been warning churches and religious groups of their limitation on speech during this election season. This type of action leads to a "chilling effect."

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is an international, interfaith, public interest law firm, based in Washington, dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions.

Named for St. Thomas a Becket, who was martyred by the English king’s knights in the 12th century for defending religious expression, the firm has represented numerous religious denominations over the last 10 years, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Native Americans, and Sikhs.